


Laplace's Angel

by toomanydice



Series: Will Wood Inspired Fear Domains [1]
Category: The Magnus Archives (Podcast)
Genre: Content warnings can be found in the notes at the beginning, Gen, Original fear domain, The Hunt Fear Domain (The Magnus Archives), The Web Fear Domain (The Magnus Archives), Will Wood - Freeform, Will Wood and the Tapeworms
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-02
Updated: 2021-02-02
Packaged: 2021-03-12 20:13:38
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,443
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29141316
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/toomanydice/pseuds/toomanydice
Summary: “It doesn’t take a killer to murder, it only takes a reason to kill / We’ve all got evidence of innocence / It’s ‘Everything’s Coincidence’ / The difference twixt fate and free will is whether you’re singin’ / ooh could you take a look at me? / Am I bad, am I bad, am I bad, am I really that bad?”Case ########: Considerations of human natureAn original fear domain inspired by “Laplace’s Angel (Hurt People? Hurt People!)” by Will Wood
Series: Will Wood Inspired Fear Domains [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2138778
Comments: 8
Kudos: 13





	Laplace's Angel

**Author's Note:**

> Content Warnings: Knife violence/stabbing, injury, blood, murder/death, loss of control, manipulation, car accident, substance abuse, loss of family, Brief mentions of: sexual harassment, infidelity
> 
> This was written as a direct result of my friend @Cotymauro on TikTok (go follow him!) and I going through and assigning fear entities to all of Will Wood's songs. I've decided to adapt as many of them as I can into Season-5-style fear domains, hope you enjoy!
> 
> (I highly recommend listening to the song first if you haven't heard it, but it's not necessary for understanding the story, it will just show you the context/inspiration behind this. It's also just a really good song, stream The Normal Album)

“Authorities are continuing to investigate the death of an unidentified male whose body was found near Cantor Park Tuesday night,” The news woman chirped into the camera, her face professionally expressionless, “The victim was reportedly stabbed eleven times in the chest, there are currently no suspects.”

Marie shook her head. Shameful. She felt an involuntary shiver creep it’s way down her spine and she wrapped the blanket closer around herself and sunk further down into the couch. The dull blue glow of the TV flickered across her face as she took in the evening news. She wasn’t even sure why she watched it anymore, it really only served to upset herself. There was so much horror out there in the world, and she could never wrap her head around what could drive people to such senseless violence. How could they live with themselves? Even as the top story moved forward into the weather, promising higher temperatures that would likely never come, she couldn’t get it out of her mind. She tried her best to push the thoughts away as she listened to more segments drone on.

She had just made up her mind to call it a night and reached to her side table for the remote to shut the program off when her eyes were hit with a bright red flash and she squinted involuntarily, holding up a hand to block the screen for a moment before slowly lowering it to read the words ”BREAKING NEWS.” The newswoman was once again staring into the camera with a stoic look.

“We interrupt with a breaking development concerning the homicide investigation at Cantor Park. An eyewitness has come forward with video evidence. Anyone who can identify the two individuals in this film are being asked to come forward as any and all information could be vital, though we must warn you, the following footage is extremely graphic. Please view with caution.”

Marie felt her hand drift away from the remote. She sat up and leaned forward, her elbows resting on her knees as she remained transfixed on the broadcast before her. The image of the anchor disappeared and was replaced with that of trees. She saw the blade first. It was dark, so dark that without the glint of the moon on the silver of what looked to be a pocket knife she wasn't sure she would have noticed the figure on the right at all. She couldn’t make out any discerning details of their form, though for just a moment she thought she might be able to see part of their face. They seemed familiar. She leaned in closer, but within seconds the figure was darting to the left side of the screen towards a second person, a man, and a moment later they were in pursuit, the camera panning shakily to follow them. The man was running with such desperation, occasionally glancing back to see if he had managed to shake his purser. He hadn’t. Marie held her breath. All it took was one missed step and within moments the gap between them closed and the shiny little blade was buried right into the center of his chest.

Marie’s eyes went wide and she watched in mute horror as the killer pulled their arm back and stabbed the man again. And again. Three times. Four. With each strike of the blade she saw the victim try to stumble back but the attacker just kept going. She wanted to look away, to turn it off, but she just couldn’t. She knew this broadcast was for her. She hadn’t even noticed as she started to pull her own arm back and thrust it forward in time with the figure on the screen until suddenly she was no longer stabbing empty air. Her living room was gone and she instead felt the cool night air bite at her skin. She knew where she was.

The handle of the blade felt solid in her hand, felt right as she plunged it into the man’s chest with a wet crack. She wanted to stop, more desperately than she’d ever wanted anything in her life, but her muscles worked against her will as they forced her to stab the blade into his chest over and over. Nine times. Ten. Finally with the eleventh strike, her victim- no, _the_ victim- collapsed to the ground in a lifeless heap and at last, Marie screamed. The pocket knife slipped from her fingers and clattered to the ground. Her hands were warm and slick with blood that was not hers and her whole body shook as she fell down to her knees and looked over the now still form of the stranger. Her vision grew blurred with tears. She wanted to help him, but she knew it was already too late. She couldn’t have done this. She wouldn’t. No. No! 

“Wouldn’t you, though?”

Her heart stopped as she heard a voice from behind her ring out with such clarity, such confidence. Her own voice. She turned her head slowly to see… herself, looking down at her, twirling a knife between her fingers with a slight smile across her face. This other Marie wasn’t exactly a mirror image, she looked years younger but her face was harsher and full of malice.

“Wh- what is this?” Marie managed to stammer out, “What did you make me do?”

The other Marie laughed, “Oh, only what you always wanted to do.”

Marie shook her head and glanced back at the body and sobbed even harder. She wasn’t a bad person. She wouldn’t wish that fate on anyone.

“Are you so sure?” the other Marie asked, “Why don’t you look a bit closer.”

She didn’t want to look. She really didn’t. Her head twisted violently against her will to face what she’d done, and she nearly gasped. The man’s face had been obscured before, anonymous, but now she could see him clearly. Mills. His name was Levi Mills. It all came back to her in a flash.

The wind rushing through her hair with the windows rolled down. Her sister blaring the radio. Her face smashing into the steering wheel. Waking up to sirens. Her sister not waking up at all. He was drunk, they told her. It was an accident, they told her. He’ll serve his time, they told her. She hadn’t wanted him to serve his time. She had wanted him to pay for taking the one person she had left. 

Her eyes burned with rage now looking at his body before she was quickly overwhelmed with shame. That was years ago. She had forgiven him, she’d moved on with her life. Hadn’t she? The other Marie began to pace around where she was still hunched on the ground. 

“Don’t lie to yourself. He earned this, didn’t he? A life for a life. Is that not fair?”

Marie was disgusted with herself. There was a time, yes, when she’d fantasized out of grief about taking everything from him, even his life, but she wouldn’t have actually done it. Everyone thinks like that every once in a while, but that didn’t mean she had it in her to truly be a killer. 

“Then what _does_ make a killer, Marie?” She heard her own voice mock her, “Look at me.” it commanded.

She turned her head away from the body to look up at the other Marie to see her face had now been replaced with another. Now staring back at her was her old ex-boyfriend who cheated on her with one of his coworkers. Then her boss who made vulgar comments about her whenever he thought nobody else was listening. Then the congresswoman whose healthcare bill caused her father to lose his coverage, a year before his death from untreated heart disease. Face after face. Name after name. She hated them all. The knife was back in her hand again- or had it ever left? 

“Just drop it, if you really don’t want to. Go on then. Drop it. You can, can’t you?” it said, still speaking in her voice.

She wanted to drop it. Didn’t she? She wasn’t this. She was better than this. Still, she stood up and her arm slowly extended and rotated around until the tip of the knife was aimed directly at the figure that was at once everyone and everything she despised. She can't say with any certainty whether or not she was the one moving it. 

“Do it.” The figure said. “It was always going to come to this. After all, what choice do you have, really?”

Marie choked down a sob, and her grip on the handle tightened.

**Author's Note:**

> Hello again! Apparently this is what happens when I hyperfixate on two things at once, if you have any questions about my interpretation of the song or about the domain/concept feel free to ask and I'll happily explain, and let me know what song you'd want to see next! Thanks for reading and I hope you have a wonderful day!
> 
> (Again, stream Will Wood)


End file.
